The present invention relates generally to article dispensers and, more specifically, to an apparatus for dispensing stackable articles of various sizes. Some commonly dispensed articles are video tapes, cardboard cartons containing pharmaceuticals, compact disks, dental film packs, candies, cigarettes or the like.
In operation, dispensers are typically placed above a conveyor to allow articles to be dispensed thereon to be further processed. One drawback of conventional dispensers that utilize article receptacles having walls on at least three article sides is the inability to easily adjust the dispensers to hold articles of varying sizes.
What is needed, but has not yet been provided by the prior art, is an article dispenser that is easily adjusted to accommodate articles of varying size and that can incorporate a coding system to allow for improved and simplified adjustment of the dispenser to hold articles of varying sizes.
Briefly speaking, one embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for dispensing stackable articles onto a surface. The apparatus includes first and second generally planar panels connected to form two sides of an article receptacle having a bottom edge. The first panel is angled from a perpendicular relative to the surface. At least one of the first and second panels has a groove pattern defined therein. An adjustable panel slidably engages the groove pattern to allow selective positioning of the adjustable panel to define a third side of the article receptacle. The adjustable panel is slidably moveable between a plurality of locations allowing the article receptacle to hold articles of various sizes depending on the positioning of the adjustable panel.